Automatic sausage linking machine



Nov. 2l, 1933. H, A, EDWARDS l 1,936,354

AUTOMATIC SAUSAGE LINKING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1930 Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC SAUSAGE LINKING MACHINE Homer A. Edwards, Nampa, Idaho Application March 8, 1930. Serial No. 434,383

15 Claims.

This invention relates to sausage linking machines of the general class of which an example is disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 362,439 now issued as U. S. VPatent No. 1,890,249, dated December 6, 1932, and the invention comprehends certain improvements in the method employed, and in the construction and arrangement of parts which materially reduces thecost of manufacture, increases the simplicity o; construction, and improves the operating qual- 1 les.

Among other features, the present invention includes a supporting frame having bearings for the mounting of the spacing reel, a guide bar, a guide arranged to travel on said guide bar, andan extension carried by the guide and engaging the spacing reel whereby the movement of the parts is synchronized and proper feeding of the sausage 'is accomplished.

More speciiically, the present invention includes a spacing reel, the panels or blades of which are serrated for positioning the sausage body, a guide arranged to travel upon a guide bar, the latter being positioned parallel to the axis of the spacing reel, and a thread segment xed to the guide and normally engaging the serratons of the reel whereby the reel and the guide are caused to move relatively.

The arrangement specified above produces a sausage, the links of which are determined by the spacing of the panels or blades of the spacing reel, the meat within the sausage casing being .separated at the serrations, and the casing being restricted by these serrations is dried in this restricted condition, thus permanently defining 'the link.

Other-features and details or" construction will more clearly hereinafter appear by reference to the accompanying drawing and specification, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a section on line BB of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the spacing reel; and

Fig. 5 is a section on line C-C of Fig. 3.

In the present disclosure, the mechanism is illustrated as carried by the bearing brackets 1 and 2 and it is the intention that brackets be supported on any suitable framework or carriage as may be desired. The bearing brackets 1 and 2 support the bearings 3 and the latter carry the shaft 4 of the spacing reel. The shaft 4 may terminate adjacent the end of the reel as-v sembly or may extend entirely through the same, as illustrated. In the present instance, the hubs 5 are mounted on the central shaft 4 and are utilized to support the end of the panels or blades 6 by means of spokes 7. rIhe central support for the blades 6 is identical with the endv supports and comprises the spokes 9 and hub 10. vThe panels or blades may be stamped from suitable sheet metal and are riveted to the Various spokes to secure a rigid structure. The outer faces of the blades 6 are serrated for the purpose of receiving the sausage body as will more clearly hereinafter appear. Each blade is provided with a series of pockets 11 illustrated more clearly in Fig. 3, adapted to receive the extremities of the serrations of the crimpers illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and as shown in section at 12 in Fig. 4. It will be noted that the pockets 11 are of such diameter and depth as to act as stops for the crimpers, limiting the movement of the crimper element and thus preventing the severing of the sausage body. Hooks 39 are fixed near the extremitiesof the panels to secure the sausage at each end.

Carried by each of the bearing brackets 1 and 2 are the lateral sockets 14 which receive the supporting arms 15 which carry the guide bar 16. The supporting arms 15 may beadjusted within the sockets i4 and locked in adjustedposition by means of the set screws 17. The guide assembly is arranged to travel on the guide bar 16 and comprises a pairof side plates 18 and 19 spaced for the reception of the upper rollers 29 and the lower rollers 21. The upper rollers are xed in their position between the plates and the lower rollers are mounted.V upon a pivoted frame which includes the spaced side bars 22 pivoted at 23 and extending longitudinally be` tween the plates below the guide bar. A coil spring 24 adjusted by means of screw 25 is xed to the ends oi the pivoted frame and to the casing to maintain the rollers 21 in normal engagement with the' guide rod 16. This arrangement of rollers and the novel roller mounting considerably facilitates the movement of the guide assembly and prevents binding of the parts. The side plates 18 and 19 vare cut away to permit the positioning of the plates 26 which extend transversely .of the side plates 18 and 19 and are spaced suiiiciently to accommodate the .tree movement oi the sausage body as it is carried to the reel. The guide plates 26 extend Well above the side plates 18 and 19 and also belOW these plates to allow sufficient room for the travel of the sausage, without permitting its contact with an element which might injure the same. Suitable angular braces 27 may be riveted or otherwise secured to the side plates and to the guide plates to provide a more rigid assembly of these parts.

A thread segment 28 of such dimension and pitch arrangement as to engage the successive teeth of each of the panels 'of the reel is fixed to the inner plate 18 and is braced by a suitable carrying frame as shown.

The present illustration being primarily for the purpose of disclosing the novel features of the invention, no attempt has been made to illustrate such driving mechanism as may be particularly adaptable in connection with the machine.

In using the machine above described, one extremity of the elongated sausage body will be secured to the outer hook 30 and extend therefrom between the guide plates 26 of the guide assembly. A rotation of the panel reel, due to the engagement of the thread segment 28 with the teeth of the panel, will cause the movement of the guide assembly along the guide bar 1S and the positioning of theV sausage body between the teeth of the panels in their respective order to secure a spiral Wrapping. lIhe rotation of the reel will be continued until it .is entirely wrapped with the sausage, at which time the crimping plates 12 will be caused to seat with the teeth properly saddling the sausage and until further movement of the crimping plates is retarded by the pockets 11. At this time the reel may be removed for treatment of the sausage and a new reel substituted for further Y operation of the machine.

It has been found that due to the material and structure of the reel, the warping of the panels caused by the treatment essential in the curing of sausage has been entirely eliminated and the use of these parts together with the other elements comprising the structure will be eX- tended over a period heretofore unknown in the art.

In addition to the foregoing, the product manufactured by using the present assembly has been materially improved, in *that absolutely uniform sausage links are formed, each having full rounded ends which is quite desirable in marketing the product. Another important item resides in the fact that cleaning and sterilzation of the reel may be accomplished without the care heretofore essential in `the art, without injury, and by means of processes heretofore impractical.

As suggested, the use of the present apparatus involves a new method of forming linked sausage. It will be noted that as the casing is positioned on the reel, it is restricted due to its positioning in the V-shaped slots and the subsequent curing or any heat treatment which may be desired results inf the adhesion of the casing at the restricted points. The restricted portion of the casing is suicient not only to define the sausage links, but to permit the subsequent separation of the links at the restricted points in the dispensing of the product.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a sausage linking machine, bearing supports, a reel mounted in said supports and provided with a plurality of spaced serrated panels, a guide barya guide mounted on said guide bar, and means actuated by said panels to cause the movement of said guide on said guide bar.

2. In a sausage linking machine, bearing supports, bearings in said supports, a reel removably mounted in said bearings and carrying a series of panels, each of which is formed with serrations in its outer edge, a guide bar, a guide mounted on said guide bar, and means engaging the serrations of said panels for causing the travel of said guide on said guide bar.

3. In a sausage linking machine, bearing supports, bearings in said supports, a reel removably mounted in said bearings carrying a series of panels having serrated outer edges, a guide bar arranged parallel to the axis of said reel, a guide,

Vrolls carried by said guide and adapted to travel on said guide bar, a segmental thread portion fixed to'said guide and engaging the teeth of said panels, and removable clamping plates for said panels. y

4. The substance of claim 3 characterized in that the guide is provided with a resiliently mounted roll arranged for engaging the underface of the guide bar. p

5. The substance of claim 3 characterized in that the guide is provided with a pair of spaced plates to facilitate the movement of the sausage.

6. In a sausage linking machine, bearing supports, bearings in said supports, a reel removably mounted in said bearings carrying a series of panels having serrated outer edges, pockets xed to said panels, a guide bar, a guide for said guide bar, means for moving said guide on said guide bar, and crimping plates for said panels adapted to engage said pockets.

7. The substance of claim 6 characterized in that the pockets which are engaged by portions of said crimping plates also act as stops for limiting the movement of the latter.

8. In a sausage linking machine, bearing supports, bearings in said supports, a reel removably mounted in said bearings carrying removable panels having serrated outer edges, a guide bar arranged parallel to the axis of said reel, a guide arranged to travel on said guide bar and having bearings for engaging the latter, a tension roll carried by said guide and engaging said guide bar, and a thread segment fixed to said guide and engaging the threads of the panel whereby the rotation of the reel will cause a corresponding movement of the guide.

9. The substance of claim 8 characterized in that each panel is provided with a series of pockets.

10. The substance of claim 8 characterized in that each panel is provided with a series of pockets which are positioned below the outer edge and are adapted to receive portions of crimping plates. l

11. In a sausage linking machine, bearing supports, bearings in said supports, a reel removably mounted in said bearings and carrying a series of panels, each of which is formed with serrations in its outer edge, a guide bar, a guide mounted on said guide bar, and means controlled by the serrations of said panels for causing the travel of said guide on said guide bar.

12. In a sausage linking machine, bearing supports, a reel removably mounted in said supports and carrying a series of serrated panels, a guide, means for moving said guide relatively to said reel, crimping plates adapted to cooperate with said panels to crimp a sausage thereon into links, and means for temporarily detachably securing said plates to said panels.

13. In a sausage linking machine, bearing supports, a reel removably mounted in said supports and carrying a series of panels, a guidefmeans for moving said guide relatively to said reel,

crimping plates adapted to cooperate with said panels to Crimp a sausage thereon into links, and means for temporarily detachably securing said plates to said panels, said latter means comprising clips spaced from said panels and arranged to rictionally engage said plates.

14. In a sausage linking machine, bearing supports, a sausage reel removably mounted in said supports and provided with a plurality of panels having serrated edges, said serrated edges of the panels being spaced apart the length of the sausage link desired, a guide mounted for movements substantially parallel to the axis of said reel, and means for moving said guide in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the reel at a predetermined rate in accordance with the spacing of said serrations and the speed of rotation of said reel to guide a sausage into the serrations of said panels as the reel is rotated.

15. In a sausage linking machine, bearing supports, a sausage reel removably mounted in said supports and provided with a plurality of panels having serrated edges said serrated edges of the panels being spaced apart the length of the sausage link desired, a guide bar extending substantially parallel with the axis of said reel, a guide movable axially along said guide bar, and means for moving said guide axially along said bar at a predetermined rate in accordance with the spacing of said serrations and the speed of rotation of said reel to guide a sausage into the serrations or" said panels as the reel is rotated.

HOMER A. EDWARDS. 

